Police aware of planned hīkoi
Police are aware of a planned hīkoi intending to travel
from Rotorua to
Northland early on Wednesday.
We are
strongly advising those who intend to take part in this that
any
travel across the Auckland boundary that is not
specifically permitted by the
Health order requires an
exemption.
Police have been planning around this hīkoi
and we are monitoring the
situation. As a result, there
will be an increased Policing presence at the
Auckland
boundary.
Those who are found to be deliberately breaching
alert level restrictions can
expect to face enforcement
action. Anyone found to have unlawfully crossed
the
Auckland boundary may also face difficulties in returning to
their place
of residence given the restrictions in
place.
Police have been also liaising closely with our Iwi
partners in Tāmaki
Makaurau and Northland on this
matter.
These boundaries are in place to help stop the
spread of Covid-19 given the
increased risk that the
Delta variant poses to our communities.
Police and Iwi are
coming to this kaupapa from the same place and we
remind
those intending on taking part in this hīkoi that
crossing the boundary
cannot happen until such time as
Covid-19 restrictions allow for this.
As part of our
planning, Police are advising members of the public
not
involved in the hīkoi who may be undertaking
permitted travel late this
evening to delay this if at
all possible.
There are likely to be road closures put in
place in the event that those
involved in this hīkoi
attempt to unlawfully cross the Auckland
boundary.